CAIRO/RIYADH, May 21 (Xinhua) — Regional organizations and countries on Sunday welcomed the week-long ceasefire agreement reached between Sudanese warring parties late Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Arab League (AL) said in a statement on Sunday that it welcomed the Agreement on a Short-Term Cease-fire and Humanitarian Arrangements, which will facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid and the restoration of basic services in Sudan.
AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed the necessity for the two warring parties to fully implement the agreement, noting that the recently concluded AL summit in Jeddah has discussed the Sudanese crisis and issued a resolution to support the negotiation talks.
Also on Sunday, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), expressed a welcome to the new cease-fire truce, reported the Saudi Press Agency. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement on the same day that Egypt welcomed the Sudanese short-term truce, hoping the armistice will be extended after its expiration in order to reach a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire agreement.
“The duration of the short-term cease-fire is seven days and will enter into force on Monday at 9:45 p.m. local time (1945 GMT),” said the Sudanese Army in a statement on Sunday.
Under the truce, the parties agreed to facilitate the delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance and restore essential services. Both parties have affirmed to Saudi Arabia and the United States, sponsors of the negotiation talks, their commitment to not seeking military advantage during the 48-hour notification period after signing the agreement, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
The military conflicts in Sudan, which erupted on April 15, have so far left about 850 civilians dead and thousands injured, according to recent data from the country’s doctors union. The Jeddah negotiations that started early this month come as part of a Saudi-U.S. initiative to bring peace back to Sudan.
